Page 45 of Breaking Storm

Since I told Sean and Teagan about my monies, Teagan has been distant. Reserved. Maybe the conversation has nothing to do with the change in her mood. She could be upset about withdrawing from all her classes. Because she took care of me, she chose to bow out from attending school this semester. Part of me was ecstatic, and the other, guilt-ridden. School is important to Teagan. She bargained sex for it, which is proof enough. I’ll make it up to her by giving her everything she wants.

While recuperating, I reveled in the fact Teagan’s hands were all over my body. Sponge baths. Changing bandages. Those moments of care altered something inside me. It’s been a lifetime since I received compassion from anyone. For affection to mark my skin. Teagan might have done it to satisfy her conscience, but she also took it a step further. She read to me, and sometimes I’d fall asleep on her shoulder. She hugged me when I couldn’t get rid of the chills. Instead of being somewhere else, she stayed in the room, and we talked. Menial questions regarding favorite colors and foods progressing into what we’ve been up to over the past years. And we share a birthday. It’s fate.

The biggest surprise was when she kissed me. A simple lift of the head and a press of the lips and my body reacted like a rocket. Years of pining after her and her refusal has brought us to this point where she acted on her own accord. Initiated a kiss. And hell was it the most fulfilling kiss I’ve ever had. Like water after being stranded in the desert, torched in hell. Unfortunately, it hasn’t happened again.

Teagan was intangible. A pretty girl with a strong personality, who stood apart from anyone I’ve known. A pretty girl who blossomed into a beautiful woman who despised our world. She saw past the unpleasantness of our surroundings and focused on something better for her to obtain. Now, when she glances at me, it’s not one of repulsion, yet I’m clueless as to where she stands with me. She’s gone out of her way to care, and there’s a flush tinge to her skin if I’m half or fully naked. Or she’s reading her romance book, stumbling over the sexual content.

All my senses cherish everything about Tea. From her touch to her words, I’ve fallen in love with her, which isn’t hard to do. Aside from her natural beauty, she’s a perfect blend of firm and gentle. Of waterfalls and tranquil beaches. Teagan is unbreakable. She refuses to let blockades hinder her dreams, and I plan to help her achieve those dreams.

Today, I feel the best I have since James and his asshole cronies tried to kill me. It’s a warm day, so I walk into the backyard, eyes landing on the fish in the pond. I can’t remember ever sitting over here, but I want sun instead of sitting under the roofed-in outdoor space. Sean had some people keep watch of the house, and Reuben Felan, who is sick of my father, is at the back of the yard. I sit near the pond and gesture him over. Reuben is ten-years older, twenty pounds heavier in muscle, and has a no-nonsense attitude. I appreciate honesty.

He stretches his hand forward and says, “Good to see you’re getting better.”

I shake his hand, nod toward the bench for him to sit, and respond, “It feels great.” Reuben leaves space between us on the bench. I can tell he’s holding back from saying something. “Say whatever it is you’re thinking.”

Reuben gives me a sideways glance, taps his fingers on the armrest, and responds, “What James did to you is unacceptable. There’s a certain code when it comes to family, and he broke the code.”

Reuben has worked for my dad for many years, so it’s important I step lightly. Yes, he’s been guarding the house, but he can be here as an informant to James. To find out anything he can about my injuries or plans of retaliation.

I test him by countering, “My old man has a temper. That’s all.” I shrug.

Reuben’s face turns to granite. “How can you be okay with it? James is an asshole. Always has been, but he’s crossed the line. If he does this to you because you embarrassed him, who knows what he’ll do to any one of us?” His head jerks away. “Sorry. I know he’s your dad, but I… we… believe loyalty means nothing to James.”

My head tilts toward him. “Who is we?”

He runs his hand through his military-style hair, sighs, and gives me a deadpan stare. “Me and Danny Doyle, the one guarding the front, aren’t the only ones sickened by James. There’s only a handful of people in his corner. The rest of us…” he searches around as if making sure no one can hear, “… would much rather have you leading.”

I scratch my trimmed beard. “Why hasn’t anyone challenged my old man?”

Reuben fidgets and rolls his shoulders a few times. “Because you’re next in line. Fear. James’ irrational behavior keeps us in check. Even though many of us say we’d rather answer to you, who knows how anyone would swing if someone challenged James?”

What he says is true. James has been burning bridges for a long time with his erratic behavior. Seeing he wasn’t far from killing me over minor arguments is enough for those who work for him to want better leadership. Of course, I’m not what they’re looking for either because I want out.

This small conversation has me trusting him more, so I ask, “What about Frankie?”

Reuben’s attention drifts off as his eyebrows raise, head bobbing up and down, and rubs his ear.

It takes him a minute before answering. “Honestly, I never considered Frankie or anyone else. I like him, and so do a lot of the other guys.” He turns to me and his forehead wrinkles. “Doesn’t the next of kin become the leader? Wouldn’tyouchallenge your dad?”

“Let’s just say I’m weighing my options. Besides, if everyone agrees, I don’t see a problem with someone else taking over. To me, blood or not, many of you have been family. We’ve grown up and been through hard times together.”

He smiles. “Okay, I can live with that.”

Teagan comes over and asks if we’re hungry. Reuben declines, returning to his corner of the yard, except she insists he take a sandwich and a bottled water with him. He glances at me, and I shrug, so he takes what’s offered while thanking her. Teagan’s skimpy jean shorts and tank top don’t help the situation, though. My teeth bite down hard to prevent creating a scene.

The sun is getting hotter, so I move underneath the roof to one of the outdoor couches. Teagan has everything set up here. We eat without much conversation, and with Teagan, silence isn’t uncomfortable. After she clears the area, she sits on the same couch as me. Both of us occasionally seek refuge in our own heads. While I do, my eyes have a habit of fastening onto Tea, taking her into memory. The glow of her sun-kissed skin. Her shiny hair that lightened over the summer. Those beautiful denim eyes plagued by worry.

The humidity has me removing my shirt, and I catch Tea’s sideways glances. Knowing she finds me attractive even after caring for me incites a smile. Her eyes flick my way, to the yard and back, chewing her lower lip, and twisting her hair around a finger. She’s figuring out how to approach a subject. We might not have been together long, but some of her actions I can figure out.

She lets out a weak, “Joey.”

I turn to her and smile. “Teagan.”

Embarrassed, she shakes her head downward with a grin. “I’ve been thinking…”

“Thinking about what?”

Her hands hide underneath her thighs, shoulders rise to her ears, and then she drops them. “When you told us about your…” she glances over her shoulder and around the yard, “… fortune, I have this gut feeling you’re not telling me everything. I mean, we’ve been talking about our lives, the good parts, except we haven’t said anything about the bad.”

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